The Health Care Decision Making Act 2023

The Health Care Decision Making Act 2023 has commenced.

This important legislation provides Territorians with a contemporary framework and principles for health care decision making for Territorians with impaired decision making capacity.

The Health Care Decision Making Act 2023:

• Addresses the previous gap in Northern Territory law concerning health care decision making for people who have lost some or all of their capacity to make health care decisions
• Establishes principles for making health care decisions that prioritise an individuals expressed wishes
• Provides a hierarchy of alternative health care decision makers including family and close friends which includes formal recognition of First Nations kinship
• Creates an alternative to formal guardianship for health care decisions 

To support the implementation of this important legislation the Public Guardian and Trustee has developed information and resources to support health care professionals and health care decision makers. This information can be located on our Health Care Decision Making page.

If you have any questions or would like further information about the Health Care Decision Making Act 2023, please email pgt@nt.gov.au or phone 1800 810 979.